Page 82 of A Murder in Trinity Lane
She hitched up her chin. “Told you what, precisely?”
“That Vale was dining at your house. That you were planning to see him again at Kew Gardens. When I mentioned his name last night, you said nothing.”
“I didn’t know he would be at dinner.” Her voice was clipped. “Cosmos invited him.”
“Vale dined at Rosehaven before. That’s twice, Rosalynd. Not once did you share that with me. Nor did you tell me about your excursion to Kew Gardens.”
“How could I when I didn’t know myself?” She took a deep breath. “He only suggested a visit to Kew Gardens last night. He’s working on some sort of hybrid. It seemed an ideal opportunity to learn more.”
“You decided to investigate,” I said bitterly. “Behind my back.”
“I went to gather information. Isn’t that what we’re doing?” Her eyes narrowed. “Or is it only acceptable when you do it? Is it only appropriate when you approve?”
She thought I was trying to manage her. “This isn’t about control, Rosalynd. It’s about putting yourself in a perilous situation. You went to Kew Gardens with a man who may be involved in a murder. And you”—I stepped up to her—“did not tell me.”
We stood mere inches away. Me, glaring down at her. She, gazing furiously up at me. By God, she was magnificent.
“It was a golden opportunity, Steele, to discover what his family was hiding. And I was in no danger. What could he possibly do to me at Kew Gardens?”
She had no idea how quickly a life could be snuffed out. All it would take was a blade slid across her throat for her life to end. “You don’t see it, do you?” My voice sharpened. “The danger you put yourself in. You were being watched.”
She blinked. “At Kew Gardens?”
“At Saffron Hill. There were men all around. Watching you. You were spotted. Tracked. God only knows what they planned to do to you.”
Her face paled, but only for a moment. “And yet nothing happened.”
I barely held back the urge to shake some sense into her. “Because I arrived. Because I pulled you out in time. If I hadn’t?—”
“You think you saved me?”
I stared at her. “Of course I did.”
She stepped back, fury rising. “You truly believe I couldn’t have handled myself?”
“You would’ve been overwhelmed.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know what I saw. I know what they intended.” My voice rose with an emotion I could no longer control. “And I will not stand by and watch something happen to you.”
Her eyes glittered with fiery emotion. “I am not some delicate creature in need of protection. You do not get to play savior just because it suits your pride.”
“This isn’t about pride!”
“No? Then what is it? Guilt? Possession? Or is it that you can’t bear the thought of a woman making decisions without your approval?”
I drew a sharp breath. “Don’t twist this.”
“I don’t have to twist anything.” Her cheeks flushed with anger. “I’ve risked myself for this case just as you have. But the moment I act on my own initiative, you treat me like a child.”
“I treat you like someone I care about, you little fool.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Her mouth opened, then closed. She blinked, shook her head, and turned away.
“I’m leaving.”
“Rosalynd—”
